A LINWOOD man has told of his disbelief after spotting a snake in the middle of the road during an afternoon stroll.

Steven Mcinnes was out walking on Monday, September 6 when he spotted the reddish-brown reptile on Moss Road near the old landfill site.

The 52-year-old couldn’t believe his eyes and initially thought the creature, which turned out to be a corn snake, was not real.

Concerned, he quickly alerted others online to the sighting, but was saddened to hear the animal had later died while being collected by an animal welfare charity.

“I was rather surprised and at first I thought it was a fake,” Steven told The Gazette. “I took a couple of pictures and carried on because I wasn’t keen to go near.

“It was a bit of a shock. I walk that area quite often and I have seen the usual down there – deer and rabbits, but a snake? I was not expecting that.

“It was actually not moving quickly. It was just kind of basking in the sun and people have been saying it was getting heat off the road.”

After seeing the post, one resident said it looked the double of his distinctly-coloured corn snake, which had escaped around January.

Others also shared Steven’s concern for the “skinny” looking reptile, including one Facebook user who went and picked it up before taking it home.

The Scottish SPCA then travelled to the person’s home to collect the animal, but it had become very cold and passed away shortly after animal welfare officer Ryan Cannon arrived.

Ryan said: “We were called to a report of a stray corn snake by a member of the public on September 6.

“Snakes require temperature-controlled vivariums to be kept as pets and species that are non-native can’t survive in the wild without this.

“Snakes are somewhat notorious for being escape artists and can find tiny spaces in their enclosure to squeeze through.

“Whereas in normal weather escaped snakes will often be found nearby, the recent hot weather could cause them to travel further afield as they would be more mobile.

“Encountering an exotic snake is highly unusual.

“If anyone does come across a non-native snake, then they should not approach it and contact our animal helpline immediately on 03000 999 999.”